


Reboot

by YourConsentingMind



Category: Shovel Knight
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, Character Death, Ficlet, I'm Sorry, If you like pain and suffering this fic is for you, No Fluff here only angst, Other, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, Why Did I Write This?, just wanted some angst i guess, really i dont know why i wrote this, the Enchantress is also only mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-29
Updated: 2020-01-29
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:59:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22464460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YourConsentingMind/pseuds/YourConsentingMind
Summary: With the Enchantress gone, Specter Knight begins to fade.Plague Knight tries to save him, pointlessly.
Relationships: Plague Knight & Specter Knight, implied Plague Knight/Specter Knight
Kudos: 13





	Reboot

**Author's Note:**

> written entirely while listening to the requiem of shield knight, its time for SAD
> 
> plague knight uses they/them

"Specter Knight... is this how it's going to end?"  
  
Plague Knight knelt on the ground next to the fading phantom.  
  
Specter Knight's body had started disappearing, bit by bit. First the limbs started to fade mildly, just barely enough for Plague Knight to be capable to see through them. That started happening a couple of weeks ago.  
  
Ever since then, they were determined to try and find a way to stabilize Specter Knight.  
  
Just like those countless times before nobody but them would be able to recall.  
  
Again, and again, and again, they had failed him so horribly.  
  
Ever since the defeat of the Enchantress, Specter Knight's source of power had disappeared, and it was going to take him along sooner or later. Specter Knight had been aware of this, but kept it a secret from everyone except for Plague Knight and Mona.  
  
The phantom and the alchemist had become close friends after the Enchantress was defeated. They were similar, in a way.  
  
Plague Knight grasped Specter Knight's hand, which was slowly vanishing.  
  
The phantom simply nodded. "Looks like it."  
  
Plague Knight was choking on tears. Specter Knight moved his other hand to try and wipe away a few of them, patting Plague Knight on the head. "I know you tried. Thank you."  
  
"I didn't try hard enough." Plague Knight managed to utter through sobs. "I'm sorry."  
  
"Nothing to be sorry for, friend. I knew it was coming sooner or later."  
  
Plague Knight moved closer to try and embrace the phantom's ever-fading body.  
  
"Plague Knight?"  
  
They looked up at the phantom.  
  
"Thanks for being there for me. For being my friend... despite knowing what would happen. I'm sorry for the burden I put on you."  
  
Plague Knight didn't manage to respond, trying to hold back tears, choking, hugging Specter Knight tighter, though he had come to the point of being so faded that they simply phased through.  
  
The Fade was a process all phantoms went through without a source to sustain themselves. It occured slow at the beginning, usually starting with just mild fading of limbs, sometimes even only their fingers or feet. But without a source to sustain themselves, the process would grow rapidly in speed. Some phantoms, who did not have enough Will to hold on longer, would fade in just a matter of days. Another major factor in the process of Fading was how well a phantom was remembered. A beloved phantom would fade slower than one forgotten by the world.  
  
Specter Knight had both Will and people he was dear to. That was why his Fading process took at least a month.  
  
Plague Knight had been desperately trying to find something, _anything_ to save their friend. But to no avail.  
  
The only things they could have used were either the Liquid Samurai, a force that would certainly not just freely give themselves up to sustain someone else, even someone such as Specter Knight - despite being seperated from the Enchantress and having elected their new, own queen, they were ever as determined to do whatever they did; or an uncontrollable being Plague Knight would rather not use to try and let Specter Knight live - they had done it twice before. It was disasterous. Seeing Specter Knight like that hurt more than seeing him die, over and over.  
  
Until they could either convince the Liquid Samurai to help their cause, find a way to control the being, or some other third way to keep Specter Knight alive, they just had to do this over and over again.  
  
The two spent Specter Knight's last few moments together, like every time.  
  
Plague Knight looked up at the phantom again.  
  
"Specter Knight?"  
  
"Hm?"  
  
"Can I tell you one last secret?"  
  
The two shared many secrets. They did silly things together. Just like normal friends would.  
  
"Go ahead," the phantom replied, "but I think you need to hurry." His voice had grown weak, almost completely faded.  
  
"Specter Knight, I..."  
  
But before the words had left their mouth, the phantom was already gone.  
  
Tears dropped down onto the floor as they quietened down.  
  
"... love you."  
  
They remained in place for at least an hour, like always. No matter how many times they had gone through this now (20? 50? 100?), it always hurt as much as it did before.  
  
There was one time they managed to admit their feelings before Specter Knight faded. But they felt that it put guilt on him. Even if he could not remember what would happen, they felt it was not right to say it until they were certain he could remain in this world.  
  
Plague Knight slowly got up, as they watched the world around them turn to black.  
  
They watched the being stand there, smiling.  
  
"Back again?"  
  
Plague Knight didn't feel strong enough to answer. After all their sorrows and pain replayed for so many timelines, their resolve has grown weak.  
  
"You'll manage eventually to do it eventually. I believe in you!" It began laughing. "Maybe in another hundred timelines."  
  
Plague Knight approached the glowing marking.  
  
Reboot.  
  
For a few moments, they hesitated to push their hand down on the marking, to go back to the beginning of this.  
  
But they were determined enough to do it. They would find a way to help Specter Knight. No matter how often they had to do this again. They would prove the being wrong, they would find a way.  
  
They drowned out the laughing of the little demon.  
  
As they pressed down their hand harder on the marking, light enveloped them.  
  
It began anew.  
  
Plague Knight heard Mona call for them. They slunked out of bed slowly, walking over to the door to their room and letting her in.  
  
"Morning, sleepyhead!"  
  
Plague Knight yawned. "Morning, Mona." They gave a slight smile.  
  
"The Enchantress wants you guys to meet again later today."  
  
They already knew what would happen from here on out. They had been here often enough. Heard Mona utter the same words, heard Shovel Knight enter their room, ready to fight them. Assist Shovel Knight in his fight against the Enchantress. Free Shield Knight (yes, they knew about that too by now). Talk with Specter Knight. Become friends. Try to stop the Fade. Fail. Retry. Everything always seemed to turn out the same.  
  
Sometimes they wished they didn't have this cursed ability. They remember that it was not here until the point where the Enchantress...  
  
Plague Knight shuddered internally at the thought. That damned essence was probably what caused this. Ever since then they have been able to reset, retry.  
  
The realization made Plague Knight question whether the Enchantress had this ability. She didn't show it, but maybe she also knew about the timelines, the re-dos.  
  
Specter Knight had part of her power. Maybe he too remembered?  
  
No, that was not possible. They never remembered.  
  
Nobody ever remembered.  
  
Except for them.

**Author's Note:**

> I actually nearly started crying myself while writing this fic why did i do this
> 
> written in about half an hour btw


End file.
